Soil series profile
Matewan soil series
Matewan is a well drained soil with a very channery sandy loam surface, mapped on 556,226 acres in 40 counties across 4 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 98% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.0 extremely acidic · range 4.0–5.2
- Mapped area
- 556k acres in 40 counties, 4 states
Typical Matewan profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 in (Oi) | Very channery moderately decomposed plant material | 4.3 | Not reported | Not reported | 69.7% |
| 1–4 in (A) | Very channery sandy loam | 4.0 | 10% | 66% | 3% |
| 4–8 in (BA) | Very channery sandy loam | 4.2 | 9% | 66% | 1% |
| 8–30 in (Bw) | Extremely channery loam | 4.1 | 20% | 39% | 0.5% |
| 30–33 in (C) | Extremely flaggy loam | 3.8 | 10% | 51% | 0.25% |
| 33–43 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Matewan soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Matewan soils is extremely acidic: pH 4.0 (most land between 4.0 and 5.2). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Matewan acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is very channery sandy loam (77% of mapped Matewan acres).
>99% of mapped Matewan acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
98% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates >99% of the acres in mapped Matewan soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Matewan soil is found
Mapped acres
Matewan is mapped in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Logan County, WV | 85,997 | 36.5% |
| Boone County, WV | 78,526 | 30.8% |
| Mingo County, WV | 75,704 | 34.9% |
| Lincoln County, WV | 42,442 | 18.7% |
| Pike County, KY | 26,649 | 5.3% |
| Buchanan County, VA | 26,340 | 9.3% |
| Breathitt County, KY | 25,809 | 8.2% |
| Leslie County, KY | 24,937 | 9.7% |
| Floyd County, KY | 22,288 | 8.9% |
| Wyoming County, WV | 22,132 | 8.7% |
| Dickenson County, VA | 16,890 | 8.9% |
| Wayne County, WV | 15,055 | 6.1% |
| Perry County, KY | 14,872 | 6.8% |
| Knott County, KY | 11,579 | 5.1% |
| Johnson County, KY | 9,877 | 5.9% |
| Magoffin County, KY | 9,123 | 4.6% |
| Clay County, KY | 6,918 | 2.3% |
| Westmoreland County, PA | 5,368 | 0.8% |
| Knox County, KY | 3,693 | 1.5% |
| Letcher County, KY | 3,591 | 1.7% |
| McDowell County, WV | 3,192 | 1.2% |
| Lawrence County, KY | 3,086 | 1.2% |
| Fayette County, PA | 3,014 | 0.6% |
| Bell County, KY | 2,908 | 1.3% |
| Elliott County, KY | 2,448 | 1.6% |
| Harlan County, KY | 2,075 | 0.7% |
| Greene County, PA | 2,062 | 0.6% |
| Whitley County, KY | 1,910 | 0.7% |
| Martin County, KY | 1,676 | 1.1% |
| Morgan County, KY | 1,595 | 0.7% |
| Laurel County, KY | 1,078 | 0.4% |
| Estill County, KY | 702 | 0.4% |
| Indiana County, PA | 676 | 0.1% |
| Lee County, KY | 571 | 0.4% |
| Wise County, VA | 507 | 0.2% |
| Rockcastle County, KY | 465 | 0.2% |
| Russell County, VA | 219 | 0.1% |
| Armstrong County, PA | 204 | 0.0% |
| Raleigh County, WV | 40 | 0.0% |
| Washington County, PA | 8 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Matewan acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.7% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Matewan acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 45–55% (median 50%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 3%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.4% |
| Well drained | 99.6% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 98.1% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 1.6% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.3% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Matewan (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 556,226 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Matewan components. The profile comes from the single largest Matewan component. Full methodology.